Story Of A Will

" Thrown off his horse and killed !" Ij read, in the city weekly paper jnst issned, as I sat in my law office one niorning in ! Wellington, the couuty Beat of a certain Frankkn couuty. It was on Thursday niorniug, in Soptember; and tho paragraph went on to say tlmt on Wednesoay morning, Stephen Edwards, a wealthy old farmer, who had lived near a place callod the Cross lloads, three or foor miles from Wellington, was found dead on the road, wittrïn half a mile of his house, and that appear anees iudicated that he was thrown from his hoiso and killed on Tuesday night on his way home from tho latter place. I " Why, I declaro!" I said to myself, j "Itwas only the day before yesterday that I wrote his will, and it was eigned j and witnessed here in my office. How singular ! Killed that very night?" Mr. Edwards was asomewhat singular man. I knew that he chaüged his mind often, for I had drawn several wills for him. In this last one, which I now very emphatically declarod should be the last, he had bequeathcd the biilk of his wealth to a dissipated nephew, Ross Ed wards, reserving barely euough for his only daughter to inake the will valid. He" did not teil me why and it was no part of my busiuess to ask him, although, knowing the family well, Ihad wondered at it. I had scareely flnished reading the paragraph relating to the accident, when Mr. Brush, the constable, stepped in. He was not a very leaj-ned man, was very excitable, and entertained a keen sense of the solemuity of his dulies as an oflicer. "Have yon heard about Edward? ?" he asked. "I have just read of it," T replied. "It is a ead thing." "Well, there is a suspicion of something wrong about it." " Ah ; How so ?" I asked. "You drew his will, didn't you?" "In favor of Ross !" "Yes." "I did. What's wrong about it?" " Why, his daughter Lucy has come into town this morning, and got a warrant out to arrest her cousin Ross, on suspicioii of murder. She says hc knew that the will way to bo made m his favor ! that day, and as the old man had changed his mind so often, and might do it again, she bolicves that he waylaid and murdered him, so as to mako sure of the property. You know Ross is called a hard case. It's suspicious. " "It looks bad," I replied. "It does so. Well, I have the warrant for his arrest, and I am going to ride out to Cross-Roads and get him. Will you go along ? Yon are a lawyer, and I would like you to go along. You might notiee things that I wouldn't." " Yes, ril go with you," I said. " Wait just a minute." I had a horse, which I soon saddled and bridled," and in a few minutes Mr. Brush and I were galloping away over the country toward the Cross-Roads, a place that aspired to be a village on account of its havhig a postoffice, grocery store, and three or four dwelling houses. " By the way," said tho Constable, as ho rode along, "did Edwards leave his will iu your care?" "No; he took.it with him. Was it found in his pocket J" " I didn't ask thegirl, but we'll know j when we get there. He won't bc buried i uutil an investigation is made. The Coroner is coming out to-day." W3 learned on the way that Ross ! wards made his quarters at the j Roads taveru, and when we arrivcd in front of the littlo two-story building, we saw him sitthig on the porch reading the country uewspaper. He did not seem to notiee us dismounting, aud we had j Beouied our horses at the hitching-post ' and stepped upon the piazza before he ; was aware of our presenoe. "Ross Edwards," said Mr. Brush, in a very impressive tone, as he laid bis hand on the startled man 's shoulder, " I arrest you for tho murder of your uucle, Stephen Edwards, whom you waylaid on Tuesday night, and knocked fvom his horse with a club, to secure She inimediDte benefit of his will." Grave as the occa-sion was, I could eparcely keep from smiling at this pompons speech, which IthinkMr. Brush had mentally prepared and eommilted to memory on the way. It was the first time that he had ever been called upon to arrest a man on a charge of murder, ! and he evidently iutended to make the most of it. Ross Edwards looked up iiito the Constable's face, then at me with apparent surprise; af ter which he turnod very pide, and seemed trying to speak, though unablc to uttrr a word. " l'm sorry," said Mr. Brush, in a less official tone, "and I hope the charge j may p;ove f:ls(, but I must do my duty. Your cousin Lucy has made the coniplaiiit, and got tho warrant out. Here i it is." And he began toread - "Com- I monwealth of - " "Nev(r mind reading it," intemrpted Ross Edwards, recovoring his self-possessiou, aud speak ing very ealmly. "I know what a warrant is, and I lm-iw you are the Constabl '. I will go with you at once; but rest assured that there is some mistake about this." He arose and put on his hat as he spoke. " I hope it will turn out so," said Mr. Brush. "Ross," said I - for I had often addressed him by his first name - " do you happen to know that your ancle made a will in your favor :" " No," 1"' replied, OOOlly. " You don't?" " No, I don't know that he did bo. He told me a few days ngo that lio would. H.8 had a quarrel with IiUcy, who bus a violent tempex, and lie said that 1 should be his heir. lio told ine tliat sbe did í not treat hini with eitbei affecticm or repect, and was dotermined that sho ahould not l)ecome wealthy at bis death - that sbo did not dcserve it. Tbat'a all I know about it. " " Tben yon don't know that be made a will?" " No, I never saw him ajivo nfter tbíit - Tucsday morning, I tbiuk." Whon the Coroner amveawo proceeded to Edwards' house where the usual hiquost was held. The country physician tostified that j death liad resulted from a fracture of the skull with somo blunt instrument. . A. neighbor - onc of two men who i fomid tbc body - testifiod that be found í ncar by a round stone, of tbrce pounds weight, stained with blood. I testified concerning tbe will. Ross Edwnrds again atimitted tbat bis ' uñóle liad told hini be would make sucb a will; tbat be knew be often changed bis mind; yet denied tliat ho bad any knowledge of tbe murder. "Where were you during tho early part of Tuesday night ?" asked tbe ! nei-, eying him shnrply. "Lct me see, I took a walk across the fielda to the river and had a swim. I got ! backbyí), Itbink." ' 'Di(í you meet any one on yonr way to the river or coming back." " Not a soul." Tho verdict of the Coroner's jury was unfavorable to Koss Edwards, and be was taken to Wellington, briefly : ined by a magistrate, and comnutted to jail. I reinained behind to see if any new facts could be learned, and it is singular j tbat tbe Constable and Coroner, with J tbeir prisoner, had been gone half au I hour before I tbougbt of tbc will. Tben ! I sought the two countrymen who bad j disoovercd the body of Mr. Edwards, and asked : "Werethero any indications tbat ho had been robbed ? "Yes," they botb replied. "Tbe pockets were tmued wrong side out." "What I Was the inside pocket of I bis coat turned wrong side out?" " Yes, and a little memorandum book ! lay on tbe grouud, nearly covered with dust." "Did you see anytbing that looked like a will - a good-sized paper ?" "No, notbiug but tbe memorandum - book. It liad a little money inside. We handed it over to Lucy, just as we found it. ' Hcre was a new and singular feature of the rase. Where was the will ! Had Ross Edwards been so stupid as to take it with bim after committing murder, to make sure of it ? If so, it could probably be found in tbe room be occupied in tbe tavern, or even on bis person, and : tbat would be a piece of evidonce that would establisb bis guilt boyond a doubt. " Ah, bow sbort-sigbted men are wben tbey commit crime," I mused. " Even : tho shrewdest. oí criminal3 are sure to leavs some clue." I bastened back to Wellington, and i found Mr. Brush. " Did you search bim ?" I asked. " Yes," be replied, " I took all his j effects - knife, pipe, tobáceo and a ' ct-book with iifteen dollars and twenty : cents init." "Nothing in the sbape a will?" "No." "Had ho any opportunity to throw anythiug away after bis arrest?" "No, l'm certain of that. I watched him like a oat." ' ' Tben got out a warrant and we will go to the Cross-Koada and take a ! look at his room in the tavern." This was done at once, and we went to ! the Cross-Roads that af teruoon, wben ivo made a careful examination of Éos3 Edwards' room, and everytbing in it. No I will was fouud, nor did any of bis clothes i show marks'of blood. " He must have more cunning thaoti I gave bim credit for, " I romarked to Mr. ! Brush, as we mounted our borses to ride I back to Wellington. " Whore can that will be ?" Wübiii a moiith tbe County Court was in sossion, and Boss E Iwards was tried for murder. Yes, and to tbc ment and indignación of everybody, ho ' was acquitted. Not beoause the jury ] lieved hún innocent, but beeause the ! evidence against him was not conclusive. " He is tbe luckiest murderor I ever beard of," I said to seVeral brotber j ïinys, and tbey all with me. Not long af ter lios.s Edwards was set at liberty, the daugbttir of tbe murdered man called on me and said sbe desired to con test the will, and wonld place tbe i cuse in my bands. Sbe stated tbat her i father wa3 probably not in his right ' mind wlien he made his will ; that he ten had peevish spells ; tbat be i ly ñew into a passion about nothing ; ! and that she had dono notbiug whatever , to ofl'end bim on the moming that i he started for Wellington with the ! avowed intention of making a will that wottld disinherit her. Lucy waa a rather bandsome young i lady, not over 22, witb black eyes and a clear complexión. Her mannei was ! did and earnest, and I was soon vinoed tbat if ber fatlier bad not been deranged sbo at least believed him to bo so, and I readily agfeed to take tbc case. I We wero in consultation half an hour in roference to what witnesses migbt bo summoned to testify to tbc old man's eccentricities of cbaracter, and sbe bad ! risen to go, wben I said: "Why, how foigetful I have been! Uoleas the will is produced, thero is no use contesting it." "Wby, I have it!" sbe replied. To my astonisbment, she deliberately drew i'rom her pocket and hondea me a lpgal pape, wbich I immediately rocognizi'd as the missing wi.'l. " Wbero did you got this?" I asked, almost with vehemence. A puzzled look eiunc over ber face - a ! ílush - tben sbe turned deatbly pale. " Whèie did you get tbis;" I again demanded, as a foarful thougbt flaèned across my braiu. Sbe tottered i few steps, sank trembliüg iiito % ch.iir, and covering her livid t in' with ber JiiiikI, ejaeulated : "Merciful heaveu ! What have I done i" " What have you done?" I eehoed, witb some severity. " I'll teil you, girl. You have murdered your father !" " No, no, I baveu't!" sÍk said, l'rantieally, wbilo sbe clasped ber bands and looked up imploringly into my faee, " Oh, I didu't kill him ! Spare me ! Save me !" "Spare you ! Save you ! Why ï" She dropped her face ujion ber banda, and was silent. "Answer me, givl !" I said, sternly. " Did yourconsin Ross kill your father ? Spafltb the truth." "No," she replied, beginning to cry. " Then you did !" "No, no, no!" she walled piteously. " At least yon know who did i" " No one did; lie was tfapoTTn iïom his horse." " How do yon know?" " I saw it. " " Yon saw bim throwu fiom bis horse and killed }" "Yes." What mystery was here ? Was the giil crazy ? No, (bat could not be, for why was sbe so i'rigbtened ? and, above all, how carne sbe in possessiou of the will ? ' ' Wby did yon try to have Koss hanged for murder';" I askcd. "Beeause I hated him." "How carne yon to seo yon father tbrown f rom his horse V' Hei-e she blust into a perfect convulsión of ííobs and tcars, and nf ter a few seconds regained control of bel voice so as to say: "Oh, I'll teil you all! I might as wfll now. But they won't hang me for that, will they?" "For what?" I asked, unable to surmise what was coming. " I know I'm as bad as if I'd oommitted a murder," she replied, " but I did not kill him with my own bands. I knew that bo liad goce to town to mnke a will that would disiuliorit me, and it made me hato him aml Koss both. He rode a fiery horse, and I made np my mind to frighten it, hoping, I confesa, that it would tlirow him ofl', and I didu't care if it killed him, 8o I went out on tbc rond in the evening to wait for him. I knew bo gcnerally got home about 9 o'cloek, when be wont to town, and I knew wliat time to go. I took a wbito sheet with me, and when I board him coming I wrapjied it around me, and as he rode near I ran Buddenly across the road, directly in front of the horse. The animal was frightened as I bad expected, and instautly Thirlêd aud rau away, wbilo my father was tbrown violently to . the gronnd, his liead striking the looae round stone that was fouud near by. He did not move afterward, and I took the will from his pocket aud hurried home. I was foolish enough to think I ought to preserve it, and it has exposed my crime. It looks like a judgment. " Justice to tlie innocent compelled me to have Luey Edwards taken into custody so soon as I liad heard her astouuding story. She repeated tho confession sho bad made to me, and the people were a second time aniazed. Ross' neighbors, who had refused to recognize him since his releaae trom prison, and wbo had even talked of ordering him to leave the community, now hasteiied to take him by the hand and say that they never believed him guilty, and had constantly predicted that time would bring liis vindication. Ross was soen placed in possession of bis fortune, but he was so generous as to make every eflbrt to obtain the release of bis unnatural cousin, SiXying he was determined to provide so hberally for her that she should not miss the estate sbe had so justly forfeited. The singular girl, however, who seemed a strange mixture of cunning aud stupidity, once more astonished evcrybody by escaping from jail one nigbt, after which sbe set ftre to the old hornestead- but it was happily extinguished in good time - then disappeared trom tho neighborhood, and was nevar heard fron again.